LAUSR

Prunus persica (peach) trees carrying the “Pillar” or “Broomy” trait (br) have vertically oriented branches caused by loss-of-function mutations in a gene called TILLER ANGLE CONTROL 1 (TAC1). TAC1 encodes a protein in the IGT gene family that includes LAZY1 and DEEPER ROOTING 1 (DRO1), which regulate lateral branch and root orientations, respectively. Here we found that some of the native TAC1 alleles in the hexaploid plum species Prunus domestica, which has a naturally more upright stature, contained a variable length trinucleotide repeat within the same exon 3 region previously found to be disrupted in pillar peach trees. RNAi silencing of TAC1 in plum resulted in trees with severely vertical branch orientations similar to those in pillar peaches but with an even narrower profile. In contrast, PpeTAC1 overexpression in plum led to trees with wider branch angles and more horizontal branch orientations. Pillar peach trees and transgenic plum lines exhibited pleiotropic phenotypes, including differences in trunk and branch diameter, stem growth, and twisting branch phenotypes. Expression profiling of pillar peach trees revealed differential expression of numerous genes associated with biotic and abiotic stress, hormone responses, plastids, reactive oxygen, secondary, and cell wall metabolism. Collectively, the data provide important clues for understanding TAC1 function and show that alteration of TAC1 expression may have broad applicability to agricultural and ornamental tree industries.Fruit trees: Slimmer trees for denser plantingPeach and plum trees grow tall and slim when the TAC1 gene is mutated, permitting higher-density planting in orchards. Branches of peach trees with the “pillar” trait grow more “up” than “out”, reducing each tree’s footprint. Chris Dardick at the Appalachian Fruit Research Station in West Virginia and co-workers previously traced the trait to mutation of TAC1. However, the effects of TAC1 mutation on tree shape in other species remains poorly understood. Dardick and co-workers investigated the effects of knocking out TAC1 in peach and plum trees. In both species, trees were narrower, but fruit yield was unchanged. Both species also showed other effects, including differences in trunk and branch thickness; these effects differed between peach and plum. These data may help in breeding of more upright fruit trees, improving fruit yield per acre.